The Night of The Great Forty Two

Last night, on Jackie Robinson Night at Nationals Park, I could not resist the temptation of going to my first game of the year. It was a beautiful night for baseball and I was hoping that the uniform number of 42 (that every player wore) would especially inspire the home town Nats to new heights. Unfortunately, the energy and spirit that propelled Jackie every day in his iconic 42 did not affect the Nats’ performance. The new, Harper-less version of the Nats seemed instead to be passive and lethargic.

The one point last night that brought the crowd to its feet was Trevor Rosenthal’s relief appearance in the eighth inning (Trevor is perhaps the only current Rosen-person in major league baseball). Fans cheered (and held back their boos) as he struggled with the control of his rocket-speed fast ball to lower his Earned Run Average from a titanic 72.00 to the low forties. He may have saved his career (for now) last night, and the fans welcomed his energy, effort, and flair for the dramatic.

Here’s hoping that the memories of Jackie’s greatness will soon propel the Nats to better nights ahead.

25 Years and Counting

Last week, we witnessed an amazing international 25th Anniversary concert of the very talented German and American musicians of McLean High School and Detmold's Grabbe Gymnasium playing to their peak in a varied concert from Tchaikovsky to Bernstein, with many great composers in between. The soloists were outstanding, the conducting was inspiring, and the friendships and partnerships evident on stage filled the auditorium with warmth and energy that stretched across the Atlantic. It is a privilege to be even a small part of this ongoing exchange.